Legacy 107: Soul Searching
by Dozo14
Summary: With the Wraith summoned by Elizabeth still after him, a desperate and exhausted Julian is forced to reach out to his family. Meanwhile, Prue and Penny visit their parents and Prue faces her feelings toward the secretive Noah.
1. Chapter 1

Legacy 107: Soul Searching

Xxx

At night-time, an elderly woman in a green coat was walking her small dog in the park. After relieving itself against a small rose-bush, the dog suddenly raised it ears and looked around. A wallowing screech echoed through the park and the dog started barking in a panic. The elderly woman, oblivious to the high-pitched noise, pulled at the leash.

"What is wrong, Cinnamon?" the woman asked.

Another screech sounded, this time coming closer fast. A strong wind started blowing and leaves started to swirl around the old woman. The dog freaked out and tried to run, though it was held back by its leash. Above a couple of trees, a shadowy figure dressed in rags appeared with red glowing eyes. It flew closer to the unsuspecting woman as it raised its rotten claws. The dog peeped and shivered in terror, unable to move.

The woman looked around and saw the shadow. She screamed as her soul was forcefully ripped from her body in a stream of pale white energy. When the soul was extracted, the woman collapsed on the ground. Her little dog came up to the woman and barked, though she was nothing more but an empty shell. The shadowy figure screeched and flew off, causing the wind to die.

Xxx

A few miles away from the park, in a large and dark mansion, Julian Turner sat against the wall in a dark room. He looked exhausted and worn-down, as if he had not slept or showered in days. When a screech echoed through the mansion, he jumped up and flames appeared in his hand. The Wraith stormed in through the window and held out its claw. Julian quickly threw a stream of fire at it and the shadowy demon flew off again.

"Leave me alone!" Julian screamed frantically.

Julian sat on the floor and grabbed his knees, rocking back and forth. An entire week without sleep or even a moment of peace. The Wraith had not stopped its pursuit of his soul after it had been summoned by Elizabeth. Luckily, it was easily repelled by fire, though that would not last forever. He had tried everything he knew to destroy or banish it, but nothing worked. He started to realize he needed help, but he was not willing to admit it yet. After all, the only people who could possibly help, were about the last people he wanted to see.

Exhausted, Julian dragged himself up from the floor and flamed up to one of the bedrooms, dropping down on the bed. Just a few hours of sleep was all he asked for. He closed his eyes and drifted off.

Across the room, the surface of a mirror rippled and Elizabeth Turner appeared on the other side. From a modern hotel room, she observed her son with a content smile. Biologically speaking, he was her grandson, but she had been a surrogate and had raised him, so she considered him her own. He would break soon enough, his soul would be taken and he would be hers again, pure demon.

"It won't be long now." Elizabeth noted as she waved her hand over the mirror and the image faded.

Xxx

Across the country, in the beautiful city of Miami, Prue and Penny Halliwell left the airport and were greeted by a breeze of warm wind and a bright morning sun. Both were dressed accordingly, in beautiful light sundresses and with large sunglasses covering their eyes. The sisters were in town to visit their parents on the next stop of their mother's book tour. Prue was relieved she was able to get a few days off work, as she needed a break. Being a journalist was not as dreamy as she had imagined.

"Tell me again why we didn't just beam over?" Penny asked as she dropped her bags on the ground.

"Personal gain, remember." Prue replied. "Besides, I like flying."

"Well, I don't." Penny remarked. "But at least we're here, where is the beach?"

"We're supposed to meet mom and dad." Prue said. "They know we landed, so they should get here soon."

"I wanted to grab a couple of hours of sun first." Penny replied as she raised her sunglasses to stare at a couple of hot guys walking past them.

"Too bad. I am sure we'll get the chance later." Prue said. "It is a shame Payton couldn't come."

"It was her choice." Penny replied with a shrug. "I mean, you can miss a few days of school, right?"

"Says the girl about to flunk out of college." Prue remarked.

"I am not flunking out." Penny replied annoyed. "I am just doubting college is the right place for me. I mean, sure the parties are great, but…"

Their conversation was interrupted when someone called out from across the airport. The sisters turned around and saw their parents walking up to them. Their father was dressed in a white button shirt and khaki pants, while their mother was dressed in a flowery dress. They greeted each other and exchanged hugs. Coop grabbed their bags as they started walking to the car.

"I am so happy you're here." Phoebe said with a smile.

"Yeah, we miss you girls a lot." Coop added.

"We miss you too." Prue replied. "So how is Miami?"

"It is beautiful, though it is very, very hot." Phoebe said as she waved a flyer in her face, causing her daughters to smile and exchange meaningful looks.

"What?" Phoebe asked skeptically.

"Nothing." Prue and Penny replied in unison. "So where is the hotel?"

"It's just by the beach. It is beautiful." Coop replied.

"So how is the book tour going?" Prue asked.

"It is amazing, though quite hectic. We barely got to enjoy being here, since all we do is promote the book." Phoebe informed them. "It's interview after interview, signing after signing."

"She even gives advice on the spot." Coop added.

"Well, I started out as an advice columnist." Phoebe said. "People still need advice, and I am happy to give it whenever I can. Now let's get to the hotel and have a brunch, I am starving."

A little while later, after checking into the hotel and checking out the nice suite, the Halliwell family gathered in the hotel restaurant and sat down at a table near the windows, overlooking the pearly white beach. The publicist was sparing no expenses, as the hotel was one of the most expensive and luxurious ones in the entire city.

"We should plan a spa day. The massages here are supposed to be amazing." Phoebe said after they ordered. "It would be some great mother-daughter time. Plus, the masseurs here are really cute and muscular. They can lift you right off the table."

"Luckily, I am not a jealous man." Coop remarked.

"Oh honey, you know I only love you." Phoebe replied with a smile. "Still, sometimes a girl just needs to be pampered. Speaking about pampering and cute guys, what is going on with the two of you?"

"Oh, nothing much." Prue quickly said as she grabbed her drink.

"Somehow I get the sense that there is a little more than nothing." Phoebe said. "And I don't even need to be an empath for that."

"Like I said, it is nothing." Prue repeated a little flustered.

"Prue has the hots for our very cute, but secretive Whitelighter." Penny said, at which Prue kicked her under the table. "Ouch, that hurt."

"Your Whitelighter?" Phoebe asked confused.

"Yeah, you know the one the Elders sent to get themselves back in our good graces?" Penny said. "He and Prue have this thing going on."

"There is nothing going on, nothing has happened…yet." Prue added. "Even though he promised to be open and honest from now on, there is still something he is not telling me."

"What is his name?" Phoebe asked.

"Noah." Prue replied.

"Noah? That can't be right." Phoebe said with a frown.

"What do you mean? Do you know him?" Prue asked.

"The only Noah I know is an Elder, not a Whitelighter." Phoebe replied.

"Wait, what?" Prue asked confused. "That is impossible, right? It must have been a different one."

"I am not so sure." Phoebe replied. "Cute, brown hair, brown eyes, British accent?"

"Don't forget cute butt." Penny remarked, causing her father to frown. "Sorry dad."

"I'll just pretend I did not hear that." Coop remarked.

"Well, he did mention he did something wrong. Perhaps he was demoted or something." Prue reasoned. "He said becoming our Whitelighter was his chance at redemption, but does that even make sense?"

"Sounds like you have something to talk about." Phoebe said.

"We sure do." Prue replied thoughtfully.

"Okay, let's change the subject." Coop said. "Penny, how is school?"

"Oh, it is fine." Penny replied evasively as she took a sip of her drink.

Luckily for Penny, the waitress arrived with their food, giving her a chance to change the subject again. At the same time, Prue was preoccupied with Noah as she ate her salad. She had known all along that he was hiding something. Obviously, there was a lot more going on than she thought. The Elders were not exactly the most open-minded people, though his crime had to be pretty severe for something like this. They definitely needed to talk.

Xxx

In his mansion, Julian was abruptly awakened from his sleep when a demonic screech sounded through the halls. He barely had time to get up from his bed when the doors swung open and the Wraith flew in. Julian raised his hand and threw a stream of fire, though it was weak. He was too tired to use his powers at their full potential. Still, the Wraith seemed hesitant and flew back to avoid the flames.

"Get out. You're not getting my soul." Julian said.

The Wraith screeched and a violet wind started to blow across the room, causing the curtains to wave up and several picture frames to be torn from the wall. Julian struggled to stay standing and held on to the bed. A sudden gust of wind threw him back against the wall. The Wraith flew closer and extended its claw, though Julian disappeared in flames in a desperate move.

Xxx

While Penny headed off to the beach to catch some sun and her parents had to run to another interview to promote the book, Penny headed to a small park near the hotel. She stopped at a beautiful and secluded fountain.

"Noah?" Prue called out. "I know you can hear me. We need to talk."

A column of orbs appeared next to her and Noah appeared with his charming smile. However, when he noticed her serious frown, it quickly faded.

"Prue, why did you call me?" Noah asked.

"I need answers, Noah. About you, about your past." Prue said.

"I thought you did not need to know." Noah said. "You told me I did not have to tell you if I did not want to."

"That was before I found out you used to be an Elder." Prue replied.

"I see, you must have heard that from your mother." Noah reasoned. "I should have known you would find out eventually."

"Why did you even have to hide it?" Prue asked confused.

"I figured that you would probably not trust me if I admitted I was an Elder, considering your family's relationship with us." Noah replied.

"So you just decided to keep hiding it from me, even though we promised no more lies and secrets?" Prue said accusingly.

"I didn't think it mattered." Noah admitted. "Whatever I was in the past, I am not anymore. I am just a Whitelighter now."

"I thought we were getting to know each other better, but clearly I still don't know anything about you." Prue said.

Prue attempted to walk away, but Noah grabbed her arm. Suddenly she felt his emotions rushing through her. His regret and guilt over his past, but also the feelings he felt toward her. They were strong, just like she ones she felt for him. She turned around and kissed him passionately. However, she quickly snapped to her senses and pushed him away.

"What was that all about?" Noah asked.

"Don't pretend you don't know." Prue replied. "We both know there is something between us. It's why you remained our Whitelighter, and why you reacted the way you did with Matt."

"You're right." Noah said. "I do have feelings for you. But you feel the same way."

"That doesn't change the facts." Prue said. "I can't be with someone who is afraid to show me who he really is."

Before Noah could reply, Prue turned around and walked away. The emotions she had felt from him were a little overwhelming and she needed to keep a clear head. Besides, she was here to spend time with her family, not to obsess over him. She needed to put Noah out of her mind.

Xxx

At a local studio, Phoebe sat in a chair reading a magazine while a girl was applying her make-up. Initially, she liked traveling all over the country and promoting her book, but it had been months already and she was getting tired. The interviews were all starting to become the same, like she went through them on the automated pilot. And being this far away from home also meant she had to miss her daughters all the time. She was happy that Prue and Penny had come out to visit her, though it only made her realize how much she actually missed them.

"We're almost ready to get started." The make-up girl said. "Can I get you anything?"

"Some water would be great." Phoebe replied.

As the girl nodded and walked away, leaving her alone in the dressing room. Phoebe closed the magazine and looked at herself in the mirror. For a woman in her fifties, she was looking good, but she noticed she was becoming old. There was a certain sadness in her eyes, one that she tried to cover up. The book tour was at least good for one thing. It helped her get her mind off her son.

Julian had made it perfectly clear that he wanted nothing to do with her. He was right to blame her, but Phoebe could not help but wonder. She felt like she had nobody to talk. Coop did his best to be supportive, but she could sense he struggled with accepting it. She could not burden her daughters, as they had just recently come to terms and she did not want to start another fight. Paige was a million miles away and Piper… At times like this she missed her sister the most.

Suddenly flames rose up from the floor in the mirror behind her and Phoebe spun around. Julian appeared out of nowhere and collapsed on the floor. She quickly ran over to him.

"Julian!" Phoebe called out in a panic. "What is going on? Are you hurt?"

"I need your help." Julian said weakly before he passed out.

Phoebe sat on the floor holding her long lost son for the first time. Even though she could still sense his anger toward her, she also sensed that he needed her help. He needed a mother.

xxx


	2. Chapter 2

Legacy 107: Soul Searching

Part 2

Xxx

Phoebe Halliwell sat on the floor of her dressing room, carefully running her hand through her son's hair as his head rested on her lap. Even though he was an adult, and he still carried a lot of resentment toward her, it felt like the right thing to do. He looked exhausted and scared, like he had been running for something for a long time. As she looked at him, she was once again reminded how much he looked like Cole. When there was a knock on the door and Phoebe panicked. She could not explain how Julian suddenly appeared in her dressing room, or what was wrong with him.

"Just a minute!" Phoebe called out.

"Mrs. Halliwell, we need you on set in five minutes." One of the assistants said through the door.

"I will be right there." Phoebe replied.

Phoebe looked around and tried to figure out what to do. She realized there was only one thing she could do, so she called out for Coop. Her angelic husband appeared in a flash of pink light. When he saw her sitting on the floor with Julian, he seemed confused and a little hurt.

"Is that…?" Coop asked.

"My son? Yeah." Phoebe said.

"What happened?" Coop asked.

"I don't know, he just showed up out of nowhere. He asked for help." Phoebe explained.

"Phoebe, you don't know what is going on." Coop said. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

"That doesn't matter, Coop." Phoebe replied. "He is my son and he needs my help."

"Can you trust him?" Coop asked with a frown.

"I have to." Phoebe admitted. "But I can't do this without you. They need me on set."

"What do you need me to do?" Coop asked.

"You need to take him." Phoebe said. "Take him to our hotel room, make sure he rests. I will be there as soon as I can."

Coop looked at Julian and he seemed conflicted. Phoebe realized this could not be easy for him. After all, Julian was the son of her and Cole. It was a painful chapter of her life that Coop knew all about, but they never spoke of. As loving and supportive and Coop was, being confronted with her past like that had to be rough. She could understand if he was angry or jealous, but she needed him.

"Alright, I will take him." Coop said reluctantly. "What are we going to tell the girls?"

"We will figure that out when I get back." Phoebe said. "And thank you."

"Of course." Coop replied with a faint smile. "I love you."

"I love you too." Phoebe said.

Coop kneeled down next to her and placed a hand on Julian's arm. Together, they disappeared in a pink glow. Phoebe quickly got up and checked herself in the mirror. She grabbed a tissue to wipe her tears and fix her make-up. There was another knock on the door and she headed to her interview. As if there was any way she could focus now.

Xxx

In a modern and minimalistic loft apartment, Elizabeth Turner headed down the stairs dressed in a sleeveless grey dress and heels. On the table lied the Grimoire and an ancient urn, just a few of the powerful magical artifacts she had picked up since her return. However, none of that really mattered until she got the thing she wanted most of all, her son. She walked to the full length oval mirror in the corner and waved her hand. The image of an empty room appeared.

"What the hell?" Elizabeth asked herself. "Where is he?"

Elizabeth kept waving her hand and the images in the mirror kept changing. However, she could not find Julian anywhere. Eventually she closed her eyes and focused on trying to sense him. When she found him, her eyes opened in shock.

"No!" Elizabeth said.

Another image appeared in the mirror. A dressing room, where her son was lying on the floor held by the very woman that had abandoned him. Elizabeth screamed angrily and threw an Energy Ball at the mirror, causing it to shatter. Julian was hers, she was not going to give him up to the Halliwells. He did not belong there, especially not with her.

Elizabeth headed over to the table and opened the Grimoire. She held out her hand over a page whispered in a demonic language. A wind started blowing through the room and a window flew open. The Wraith appeared and hovered before her.

"I have an offer for you." Elizabeth said. "Forget my son for now, I have a better soul to offer. The soul of a Charmed One."

Elizabeth knew she could not control the Wraith, so she hoped it would agree to her deal. The shadowy demon seemed to consider her offer and let out an unholy screech. It nodded and Elizabeth smiled at her success.

Xxx

In an attempt to forget about Noah and the kiss they shared, Prue had made her way to the hotel longue and was sitting at the bar with a cocktail. She looked up when someone sat down beside her and noticed it was her sister.

"What are we drinking to?" Penny asked with a smile as she waved at the bartender. "Oh, that bartender is cute."

"Just trying to forget the fact that I just kissed Noah." Prue admitted.

"Shut up!" Penny called out and tapped her on the shoulder. "Finally."

"Finally?" Prue replied annoyed.

"You like him, don't you?" Penny asked as the bartender handed her a drink and winked at her.

"I do, but not as long as he is still hiding stuff from me." Prue said. "I have no idea who he is or what he has done."

"What does it matter? He is still a Whitelighter, so it couldn't have been that bad." Penny replied with a shrug as she took a sip.

"Could you keep it down on the whole Whitelighter talk?" Prue said as she nodded in the direction of the bartender, who was cleaning glasses nearby.

"Oh come on, like he knows what we're talking about." Penny replied.

"Can we just stop talking about it in general?" Prue remarked. "How was the beach?"

"It was alright, I think I got a nice tan." Penny replied. "So what? You're just going to get drunk on fruity cocktails and ignore what happened?"

"Pretty much." Prue replied as she finished her drink and ordered another one.

"Alright, suit yourself." Penny said as she stood up. "I got a hot bartender to flirt with."

Penny headed to the other side of the bar and the cute bartender she mentioned quickly changed places with another one so he could talk to her. Annoyed that things were going so smoothly for her sister, Prue grabbed her new drink and took a big sip.

Xxx

When Julian woke up, he vaguely remembered being with his mother. He shrugged it off as a dream and turned around, only to find himself in a strange bed in a strange hotel room. He instantly sat up and remembered what had happened. When the Wraith was about to get him, he desperately teleported to the one person who could help. It was a stupid impulse that he already regretted. He did not want anything to do with the Halliwells.

Julian threw the sheets off noticed someone had taken off most of his clothes, except his underwear. He looked around and noticed the Cupid, Phoebe's husband, entering the room.

"You're awake." The Cupid said. "You should probably take it easy, you were pretty worn down."

"I don't need your help." Julian replied as he stood up. However, he instantly felt dizzy and sat back down.

"We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Coop." the Cupid replied.

"Why am I here?" Julian asked impatiently. "Where are my clothes?"

"You needed to rest and your clothes were dirty, so I sent them to the dry cleaners." Coop replied. "You can take a shower and borrow some of mine later, but first you need to get some sleep."

"I don't need you to tell me what to do." Julian snapped at him. "I am not safe here."

"Then tell me what is going on, so we can help." Coop replied.

Julian stared at the Cupid and wondered what the hell he was thinking. He was the husband of his so-called mother, the woman who abandoned him. He was half demon, nothing but a reminder of the life she had with his father, so why was he being nice to him? Why was he taking care of him? He did not understand, nor did he want to be taken care of.

"Why are you doing this?" Julian asked with a frown.

"Because my wife asked me to." Coop replied.

"Just like that?" Julian asked. "Even though you know who I am?"

"Not just like that, because I love her." Coop replied. "And you are important to her, despite how you feel about it."

"Why?" Julian asked.

"Because you're her son, even if you don't see it that way." Coop said.

"Some mother she is." Julian remarked bitterly.

"She is an amazing mother, to our daughters, your sisters." Coop said. "She never had that chance with you, which is something she regrets with all her heart."

"How do you know that?" Julian asked.

"I know her, maybe even better than she knows herself." Coop replied. "And I am not saying this is easy for me, because it's not, but I do it because she wants me to."

Julian fell silent. He really did not understand, but he was too tired to think about it. Still, with the Wraith after him, he could not rest. It would track him wherever he went.

"I need to get out of here." Julian said. "Before it finds me."

"Before what finds you?" Coop asked.

"The Wraith." Julian replied. "The thing Elizabeth sent after me to extract my soul."

"It's not going to find you here." Coop said.

"Of course it will." Julian said.

Julian tried to get up again and nearly fell, though Coop caught him in time and place him back on the bed again. He really hated the Cupid and his caring attitude. It was something he never experienced before and it made him uncomfortable. He attempted to struggle at Coop threw the sheets over him, though he was too tired and reluctantly gave in.

Xxx

When her interview was finally finished, Phoebe quickly changed her clothes and headed out. It was already getting dark as she left the studio and crossed the parking lot to her rental car. As she searched for her keys in her purse, a strong wind suddenly started to blow and Phoebe got a bad feeling that something was going to happen. She hurried to her car, but froze when she heard a high-pitched screech. She turned around and a demonic being in shadowy robes flying at her with burning red eyes.

"Oh crap." Phoebe remarked.

She called out for Coop as she started running. However, before she could reach the car, a strong gust of wind threw her off her feet and the keys blew away. She turned around and saw the demon flying at her with a raised claw, though before it could harm her, Coop appeared in a pink glow and quickly beamed her to safety. They reappeared in their hotel room and Phoebe let out a relieved sigh as she got up.

"Thank you." Phoebe said.

"No problem." Coop replied. "So I take it that was the Wraith?"

"How do you know that?" Phoebe asked.

"Your son told me." Coop replied.

"Is he awake?" Phoebe asked. "How is he?"

Phoebe looked at the bed and saw her son was still asleep. She felt relieved that he was safe. She wanted to reach out to him, but hesitated, since she had no idea how he would react.

"He was awake for a moment but he is still weak." Coop explained. "Can we talk somewhere a little more private?"

"Of course." Phoebe said.

Phoebe followed her husband to the adjacent room and closed the door behind her. It was obvious that Coop was not comfortable with the situation, as he started pacing around. She knew what was coming next.

"What are we doing, Phoebe?" Coop asked.

"He needed help, Coop." Phoebe replied.

"I know, and that is fine." Coop replied. "But what is the plan here? How do we stop this Wraith thing and what is going to happen after that?"

"Just say what you want to say." Phoebe said.

"Okay." Coop said reluctantly after deep breath. "I know that he is your son and that you want to get to know him, but I'm not sure if I can deal with that. Besides the fact that he is a constant reminder of the darkest chapter of your life, we still don't know if we can even trust him. What if he ends up hurting you or one of the girls?"

"I can't turn my back on him, Coop. Not again." Phoebe said. "And I don't think he will hurt us."

"How can you be sure?" Coop asked.

"Because I can feel it." Phoebe explained. "Not only does he have my blood, but he has a soul. That is the reason the Wraith is after him. As troubled as his past is, I know he has a potential for good. I recognize it, because it's the same potential as I see in our girls."

"And what if you're wrong?" Coop asked concerned. "What if his demonic side turns out to be stronger?"

"That is a risk I am willing to take." Phoebe admitted. "Are you?"

"I don't know." Coop replied hesitantly. "So what do we do now?"

"We need to tell the girls. We will need them to stop the Wraith." Phoebe said.

"How?" Coop asked.

"I have no idea." Phoebe replied.

Xxx

When Julian woke up, he heard the argument in the other room. He could not quite hear the words, but it was obvious what it was about, him. He got up and felt a bit better, still weak, but strong enough to get out of here. He headed into the bathroom and stepped under the shower. After cleaning up, he grabbed some of the Cupid's clothes from the closet and got dressed. He was about to flame out when the door to the adjacent room opened and Phoebe and Coop came back in.

"You're up." Phoebe said worried. "You should be resting."

"I'm done resting." Julian replied. "I can handle it from here."

"You can't just leave like that. The Wraith is here." Phoebe said. "Just let me help you."

"Why?" Julian asked.

"You came to me, didn't you?" Phoebe said.

"That was a mistake, don't get the wrong idea." Julian replied. "I was exhausted, I wasn't thinking clearly. I don't want your help."

"You're my son." Phoebe said as she stepped forward and reached out to him.

"So what?" Julian snapped at her.

At that moment, the hotel room door opened and a laughing Penny and Prue came stumbling in. Clearly they had been drinking, though Prue was obviously more drunk, as Penny was supporting her. When they noticed Julian standing in the middle of the room, they were shocked and the laughing stopped. They stared at him, unsure of what to do or say, and Julian felt the same.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Legacy 107: Soul Searching

Part 3

Xxx

As Julian was about to leave, Phoebe fell silent as she searched for the right words to say. This was the first time he had reached out to her, even if it was out of desperation, and she did not want him to leave. She wanted to get to know him. She knew she could never make up for the time lost, but she could at least be there now. She reached out to him, but before she could, the door opened and Prue and Penny stumbled in laughing. Everyone stood frozen, caught in the awkward moment.

"What the hell?" Penny called out accusingly. "What is he doing here?"

"I should get going." Julian remarked.

"No, wait!" Phoebe said as she grabbed him arm. "Please."

Phoebe tapped into her empathic power and felt the emotions of everyone in the room. It was nearly overwhelming, but she held on to them. There was a lot of confusion and anger in the room, as well as hurt feelings and resentment. She could feel how difficult the situation was for everyone, so Phoebe did what she felt was the right thing to do. She focused on the negative emotions, channeling their raw energy through her and dispelling like a dark cloud into the air. The process was draining and she collapsed on the floor.

"Phoebe!" Coop called out as he ran over to her.

"What happened?" Prue asked confused.

"She did something. I feel different." Julian said confused. "What did she do to me?"

As he held his wife and helped her to her feet, Coop raised his hand and his ring glowed in a pink light as he waved it over her.

"She took all the negative emotions in and sent them away." Coop explained.

"What? Why would she do that?" Penny asked.

"Because…" Phoebe said weakly. "Anger and arguments are not going to solve anything. There were too much unresolved emotions. Right now, we need to work together."

"Why? What is going on?" Penny asked confused.

"It is the Wraith." Julian explained as he turned to her. "You saw it when Elizabeth summoned it. It has not given up."

"And now it is after all of us." Phoebe added. "Or at least after me."

"Are you okay?" Coop asked concerned.

Phoebe wanted to say she was fine, but she felt incredibly weak. She had manipulated emotions before, but not this much conflict at the same time. It had taken both a physical and emotional toll on her. However, it was worth it if her family could at least talk.

"I will be fine." Phoebe replied. "What is important now is that we find a way to stop the Wraith."

"Why? I am sure he led it here." Prue said.

"She is right. Why should we help him?" Penny added. "He made it pretty clear he wants nothing to do with us."

"Because I am asking you to help him." Phoebe said. "Whether or not you are willing to accept it, we're in this together. Julian is part of this family."

"Some family." Prue remarked as she walked to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

"Are you okay?" Phoebe asked as she turned to Julian.

"What did you do to me?" Julian asked accusingly as he looked at his hands. "The anger, the pain. I don't feel it anymore."

"I can use my empathy to take away the bad stuff." Phoebe explained.

"So you're manipulating me?" Julian asked angrily. "You think that you can play with my emotions and that everything will be alright? It won't."

"I know." Phoebe replied. "That was never my intention. I would never try to control you like that. I just wanted us to be able to work together. Your feelings are still your own."

"You're just like Elizabeth, trying to make me into something I am not." Julian said bitterly.

Before she could reply, Julian disappeared through flames. Phoebe stepped forward, but nearly collapsed again due to her weakened state. Coop helped her to the bed and she sat down. As her father went to get some water, Penny sat down next to her mother.

"Mom, what were you thinking?" Penny asked.

"I felt like I had no choice." Phoebe said. "I don't expect you to understand."

"I want to understand, but it's really difficult." Penny replied. "You see something in him that we can't. He is a stranger, and just a few months ago, he was the Source of All Evil. How are we supposed to understand?"

"He is your brother." Phoebe replied. "You could at least try to see the good that I see."

"Fine, maybe you're right. I guess we haven't really tried." Penny admitted after a moment. "He couldn't have gone far. I will go find him, but only to solve this Wraith mess."

"Thank you." Phoebe said softly as she took her daughter's hands in hers. "I guess there is something of a middle sister in you after all."

"Well, don't get used to it." Penny remarked.

"Try the beach." Phoebe said.

"Okay." Penny replied with a frown. "I will let you know when I find him."

Penny got and left the hotel room. Phoebe hoped she would able to convince Julian to come back. They needed each other to stop the Wraith, and she was not willing to let him go this quickly again. He needed to know that she was not like Elizabeth, that there was a family that would accept him. Now she had another one of her children to deal with. She slowly got up, headed to the bathroom and knocked. When there was no response, she opened the door and saw it was empty.

Xxx

In a column of bright blue orbs, Prue appeared by the fountain in the park with Noah's hands wrapped around her. When things had gotten too confrontational in the hotel room, she had called him from the bathroom to orb her away. When they materialized, Prue freed herself from his hold and sat down on the edge of the fountain.

"Want to tell me what is going on?" Noah asked.

"Family drama." Prue replied. "Julian is here."

"You're brother?" Noah asked.

"Don't call him that." Prue said.

"Why not?" Noah asked. "That is what he is, isn't it? Whether you like it or not, he is a part of your life now."

"I know." Prue replied distantly as she let her hands run through the water.

"So aside from the obvious shock after you discovered his existence, what is this really about?" Noah asked with a frown. "Why the resentment?"

"Because… I don't know." Prue replied hesitantly.

"Yes, you do." Noah insisted. "You can tell me."

"Okay." Prue replied with a sigh. "You know my mother is not the only empath in the family. I am one too."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Noah asked.

"I can't stand seeing my family hurt, because I share their pain. I feel it." Prue explained. "So far, Julian has brought nothing but pain, to everyone. He caused conflict between my mom and us, he is causing conflict between my mother and father. I just don't want him to break this family apart."

"So you're trying to protect your family." Noah said.

"What if we accept Julian as part of the family and he suddenly turns evil?" Prue said. "That would destroy my mother, it could destroy my entire family."

"But Julian is a part of that family." Noah said. "He might be half-demon, but he is also human. And yeah, people can make mistakes. You don't need to be demonic for that. Look at me, I have made a lot of mistakes."

"That is not the same." Prue replied.

"Isn't it?" Noah remarked. "I think it's exactly the same."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Prue asked.

"I think you owe it to Julian to give him a chance." Noah replied. "He did not ask for this any more than you did. You're so focused on your differences that you forget to look at all the things you share. He is your brother. So how about worrying about the evil part of him, you focus on the good that is part of you both?"

"Am I really that judgmental?" Prue asked shocked.

"I think you're just being protective, not judgmental." Noah replied.

"Thank you." Prue said with a smile.

"For what?" Noah asked.

"For being my Whitelighter, for being here." Prue replied. "I probably would have run off if it wasn't for you, so thank you."

"I'm happy to help." Noah said.

Prue smiled and grabbed his shirt to pull him closer. She kissed him and realized he was right. Things were never going to change unless she was willing to give it a chance. She had almost forgotten that she had been mad with him just a few hours ago. All of that didn't really seem to matter, though a small part of her was still wondering. Now was not the time to bring it up.

"So what does this mean for us?" Noah asked when they stopped kissing.

"Can we please worry about that another time?" Prue asked.

"Okay." Noah said as he kissed her again. "You should probably go check on your family."

"I know, just a minute." Prue replied as she wrapped her hands around his waist and continued kissing him.

Xxx

As the waves crashed into the beams below him, Julian stood on a pier overlooking the ocean. It was quiet and deserted, just the way he preferred it. Watching the waves always had a calming effect, but he was not feeling angry right now. That feeling had been taken away from him. It felt like a violation, since the anger was everything he got. His anger was what kept him going after years of possession. Without it, he just felt lost and hopeless. She had no right to take it.

"Nice view." A familiar voice said.

Julian looked over his shoulder and saw Penny standing behind him with her arms crossed.

"What are you doing here?" Julian asked.

"I came to find you." Penny replied.

"Why? So you can yell at me some more?" Julian remarked as he turned his back to her.

"Actually, I came to apologize." Penny admitted, though she sounded reluctant. "I guess I was blaming you for this messed up situation, while you can't help it any more than we can."

"I never asked for any of this." Julian said.

"I know." Penny replied as she leaned against the railing next to him. "There is no point in avoiding it, we're a part of each other's lives, whether we chose it or not. I guess that's the deal with family."

"I wouldn't know." Julian remarked. "I never had one."

"Well, you can have one now." Penny said. "I know my mom, I mean our mom, wants to get to know you better. Give her a chance."

"She should have thought of that before she messed with my head." Julian said.

"She was only trying to help, you know." Penny said. "And she was right. Do you think we would be able to have this conversation if she had not taken away the negative emotions?"

"I guess not." Julian admitted. "I would have been too stubborn to listen."

"And I would have been too stubborn to even come here." Penny said. She looked at him and suddenly he heard her voice inside his head. "_See how we already have things in common?_"

"_I don't like people inside of my head_." Julian replied telepathically and pushed her out of his thoughts. "Why are you being like this?" He asked.

"Like this? You mean nice?" Penny asked with a frown. "I don't know, I figured I'd give it a shot."

"Why?" Julian asked.

"Seriously? You're not the easiest guy to talk to, are you?" Penny remarked. "Look, I get this is weird for both of us, but we have to find a way to work together if we want to stop this Wraith thing."

"So that is all you care about?" Julian asked. "Just stopping the Wraith?"

Julian turned and started to walk away. For a moment, he actually started to believe she was interested in getting to know him, but he guessed all she cared about was stopping the Wraith. Once it was defeated, they would probably turn their backs on him again. Like a piece of trash. Normally his anger would take over, but now he felt something else, something worse. He wasn't quite sure how to describe it, but it actually hurt. He just knew he needed to get away.

"_You're wrong_." Penny said telepathically. "_It's not just about the Wraith_."

"I told you to stay out of my head!" Julian snapped at her.

In a flash of rage, Julian turned around and held out his hand, telekinetically grasping Penny by the throat. However, he quickly snapped to his senses and let go. Penny fell on her knees and coughed.

"I'm sorry." Julian said ashamed. "I never should have done that."

"It's okay. I'm fine." Penny said as she carefully got up. "I guess your anger is not completely gone."

"I guess you're right." Julian replied. "So you're not scared of me?"

"No, I don't think so." Penny said. "I know you didn't mean to. It happened, let's move on."

"Thank you." Julian said.

"Let's just forget it." Penny replied. "Next time, I'm going to kick your ass, though. Now come on, we should head back and try to figure this out."

"Okay." Julian said with a faint smile.

Just as they were about the leave, the pier suddenly echoed with a high-pitched scream. Julian looked around and saw the Wraith rising up from below. A strong wind started to blow as soon as it appeared and the waves became more violent.

"Run!" Julian yelled.

With the Wraith behind them, Julian and Penny started to run to the beach. The wind grew stronger and pieces of wood were torn from the pier, disappearing into the violent waves. Julian suddenly heard Penny scream. He turned around and saw she was holding on to the pier, almost being pulled away by the wind while the Wraith come closer.

Without hesitation, Julian ran back and threw a stream of fire from his hands. However, the wind was too strong and the flames faded before they reached the demon. He tried again, but again the wind was too strong. The Wraith extended its arm and a pale beam of light hit Penny as it started to extract her soul.

"No!" Julian screamed as he telekinetically grabbed hold of Penny and pulled her toward him.

Penny crashed into Julian and they collapsed onto the pier. The Wraith screeched angrily and flew at them, though Julian quickly flamed them out of there. They reappeared on the floor of the hotel and Julian gasped for air as Penny fell on top of him.

"Thanks." Penny said.

"You're welcome." Julian replied while trying to catch a breath.

As Penny rolled of him and got up, Julian realized he had actually been scared back there. Not for himself, but for her. He did not want her to get hurt. It felt strange, but could he actually start to care about these people? His family?

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Legacy 107: Soul Searching

Part 4

Xxx

As the clock headed toward midnight, Phoebe paced around the hotel room with concern. None of her children had returned and they had been gone for hours. She was starting to worry. When the hotel door opened, she spun around, though it was only Coop. He entered the room with a dish and placed it on the table.

"You've barely eaten." Coop said. "You need to eat something."

"Where are they?" Phoebe asked. "Can you sense them?"

"I'm sure they are fine." Coop assured her. "Come on, sit. You need to take of yourself."

"Okay." Phoebe said reluctantly as she sat down. She lifted the dish and saw it was her favorite salad. "So we never got to finish our conversation." She said as she ate her salad.

"What more is there to say?" Coop asked. "Whether I like it or not, Julian is part of your life and the lives of our daughters now."

"I don't want you to be hurt or feel left out." Phoebe said.

"Phoebe, I love you." Coop said as he took her hands. "If this means so much to you, I will try to find a way to accept it."

"That is all I can ask of you." Phoebe replied. "Thank you."

The door opened and Prue entered. Phoebe got up and ran over to hug her daughter. "I was so worried about you."

"Don't be. I just needed a moment to vent." Prue replied. "I am sorry I disappeared on you."

"As long as you're okay, that is all that matters." Coop said.

"Where is Penny?" Prue asked as she looked around.

"I sent her after Julian, she's not back yet." Phoebe replied.

"Should we go look for her?" Prue asked.

"No need. I'm here." Penny's voice sounded.

Phoebe turned around and saw Penny heading through the door with Julian following her. She could not even describe how relieved she was to see them both. Something had changed in both of them, she could sense it. Could it be that they were beginning to accept each other?

"I'm glad you're both here." Phoebe said.

"Are you sure?" Julian asked.

"Of course." Phoebe replied. "I care for each of you."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you before." Julian said dismissively as he looked at the floor.

"Don't worry about it." Phoebe said. "I should not have used my powers without your consent. All I wanted was for us to be able to talk."

"I get why you did it." Julian replied. "I guess it worked, since here we are."

"I guess I should apologize as well." Prue said as she stepped forward. "I know I was harsh in judging you. I wasn't trying to be mean, I was just trying to protect my family."

"Yeah, I think I am starting to get that." Julian replied as he looked at Penny to his side.

"Alright, I think that is enough drama for one evening." Penny remarked dryly. "We need to deal with the issue at hand here, the Wraith nearly got me."

"What!? Are you okay?" Phoebe called out.

"I'm fine, mom." Penny replied as she looked at her brother. "Thanks to Julian."

Phoebe smiled as she stood up and walked over to her son. She placed a hand on his arm and waited. Julian seemed uncomfortable and swayed a bit, though for the first time, he did not reject her right away. She wanted to reach out to him, but she realized she should not rush it. If she wanted to get to know him better, she needed patience. There was still a long way to go.

"Thank you." Phoebe said.

"It's not a big deal." Julian remarked. "We should focus on the Wraith."

"Right, right." Phoebe replied as she let go. "So that raises the question, how do we kill an undead demon?"

"The only thing it seems to fear is fire, but even that is not powerful enough to stop it." Julian said. "At least my fire is not strong enough. I am not nearly as powerful as before."

"Then we'll need a spell or a potion or something." Prue replied.

"What if we banish it like we did with the Spirit Killer?" Penny suggested.

"The Wraith can cross realms." Phoebe said. "So that will only be a temporary solution. No, we need to destroy it, end the threat once and for all."

"Except the Wraith is not the real threat." Julian said. "It is merely a weapon, sent after me."

"By Elizabeth." Phoebe concluded with a nod. "She is the cause of this."

"She has the Grimoire, maybe it has a spell to destroy the Wraith." Julian said.

"But the Grimoire is dark magic. It's evil, we can't touch it." Penny said.

"I can." Julian replied.

"You want to use dark magic?" Phoebe asked concerned.

"It is the only way." Julian said. "We need to stop both the Wraith and Elizabeth. She's obsessed with getting me back. She is never going to give up. As long as she is out there, she will be a threat."

"Then we go after her." Penny said determined.

Both Julian and Prue nodded and Phoebe had to admit that it was probably the only way. Still, she was worried, since Elizabeth was very dangerous. This was the woman who raised Cole as a demonic hitman and handed Julian over the essence like a vessel when he was just a child. There was no telling what she was capable of or what she would do. She looked at her husband and noticed he shared the same concerns.

"How would you even find her?" Coop asked.

"I think I might be able to sense her." Julian said. "She claims to be my mother, even though she is not, but we're still connected by blood through my father."

"Won't she be able to shield herself?" Penny asked.

"No, she wants me to be able to find her." Julian replied. "She still has the delusion I will join her."

"It's worth a shot." Prue said.

"We will need to be careful. Elizabeth is extremely dangerous." Phoebe warned the others.

"She is right, Elizabeth is ruthless. She will not hesitate to kill you." Julian added. "Any of you."

"Maybe I should come with you." Coop said.

"No, that will only put you in danger." Phoebe replied. "Besides, if this thing goes wrong, I need you to be here for Payton."

"It won't come to that, right?" Prue remarked a little worried.

"You don't need to risk yourselves for me." Julian said.

"Yes, we do." Penny replied. "That is what family does. Granted, we're not exactly a nuclear family, but still."

"Alright, will you be able to follow me?" Julian asked.

"No problem." Prue replied.

Julian closed his eyes to focus. Meanwhile, Phoebe joined Prue and Penny and waited. She had grabbed some potions from her drawer earlier and held them in her hands. When Julian opened his eyes, he nodded and disappeared through flames. Phoebe held on to her daughters and disappeared along with them in a flash on pink light.

Xxx

When Julian reappeared through intense flames, he found himself standing in a large loft apartment with very few pieces of furniture. He looked at the window and saw the skyline of a city he did not recognize. Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen. A moment later, his mother and sisters appeared in a pink glow. It was weird to think of them like that. He still wasn't fully comfortable with it, but still, they actually seemed to want to help him. It took some getting used to.

"New York." Phoebe said as she looked out the window.

"Beautiful city, isn't it?" Elizabeth stated as she appeared at the top of the stairs. "It has been my home for…, well, ages. I see you came to return what is mine."

"You have no right." Phoebe replied.

"Don't I?" Elizabeth asked as she headed down the stairs. "I am the one who gave birth to him and raised him, all after you discarded him."

"He is still my son." Phoebe said.

"No, he is not." Elizabeth replied with a glare.

"Enough!" Julian snapped at them both. "I can speak for myself!"

"Sorry." Phoebe said.

"We came for to end this once and for all." Julian said as he turned to Elizabeth. "You have controlled my life for long enough. It ends tonight."

"Controlled?" Elizabeth asked. "I only wanted the best for you. Power, unlimited power."

"I never wanted any of that." Julian replied. "I just wanted to be able to live my own life. Not the life of the essence, or your warped version of what I should be."

"So you would rather be with them? These witches?" Elizabeth asked. "The people who, up until a day ago, feared and hated you? They will never accept you like I will. Not the real you."

"I am not like you, and I am not like them either." Julian said. "My demonic half does not defy me, my choices do. But that is something that you will never understand, because you don't have a soul."

"Alright, I see you're still not willing to see it my way." Elizabeth said. "That will change once the Wraith has taken your soul."

"It won't get to that, because we're going to stop you." Penny said.

"Oh please, do you think I did not see you coming?" Elizabeth replied unimpressed.

"Did you see this coming?" Phoebe said.

Phoebe raised her arm and threw a potion at Elizabeth. However, Elizabeth reacted quickly and threw an Energy Ball. The two attacked collided mid-air and exploded. Elizabeth's eyes turned pure red and she unleashed a sonic scream that forced everyone to their knees, clutching their ears in pain as the windows around them shattered. Julian waved his arm and telekinetically threw Elizabeth against a pillar, causing the screaming to stop.

"Seriously, how annoying is that?" Penny remarked as she and the others got up. "Can we just end this now?"

"Gladly." Elizabeth said as she rose to her feet.

Elizabeth extended both her arms and sent two Energy Balls flying at Prue and Penny. However, Prue held up her hands and channeled her powers, stopping the Energy Balls before they hit. She screamed as she pushed them back at Elizabeth, who shimmered away and reappeared on the other side of the room. Julian threw a Fire Ball at her, though she avoided it.

Elizabeth whispered something in a demonic language and pointed at Prue and Penny. Both their eyes glowed for a moment and they collapsed. Phoebe ran over to check on them. At the same time, Elizabeth cast another spell and pointed at Julian. He could feel his body being paralyzed and was suddenly unable to move a muscle.

"What the hell did you do?" Julian asked angrily.

"Just a few spells I picked up from the Grimoire. It was getting a bit crowded here." Elizabeth replied. "This is between us."

"No." Phoebe said as she stood up. "This is between the two of us."

"You." Elizabeth hissed angrily. "You already stole one son from me. I am not going to let you take another."

"He is not your son." Phoebe said. "And I did not take him, or Cole for that matter. You chased them both away. You're a monster, incapable of love."

"Shut up!" Elizabeth screamed.

Elizabeth threw an Energy Ball, which Phoebe easily avoided. She then held out her hand and replicated her power, forming an Energy Ball of her own. She threw it at Elizabeth, who barely managed to duck in time. Meanwhile, Julian struggled to move, but his body was frozen in place. He looked over at his sisters and saw they were both unconscious. Suddenly, a screech sounded and the Wraith flew in through the window.

"Oh crap." Phoebe remarked.

"Finally." Elizabeth said smiling.

The Wraith screeched as it observed the room and flew at Phoebe. She avoided it by ducking behind a table and ran toward Elizabeth. She tackled the demon and they rolled over the floor. Elizabeth unleashed another sonic scream, through Phoebe grabbed her by the throat to silence her. She channeled her powers and pointed at Julian, breaking the spell Elizabeth had cast. Julian realized he could move again and quickly threw a stream of fire at the Wraith. It screeched and flew out the window.

"Move!" Julian yelled at Phoebe.

Phoebe quickly moved away from Elizabeth and Julian held out his hand, telekinetically throwing her against the wall and holding her in place. She gasped for air as his hold on her throat increased.

"You think you can kill me?" Elizabeth asked. "I am your mother!"

"No, you're not." Julian replied. "And now I will be free of you."

Julian threw a Fire Ball at Elizabeth and she was incinerated with a horrifying scream, leaving only a black mark on the wall. When she was finally gone, Julian felt a wave of emotions rush over him and he stumbled back. She could no longer control him, he was free. He felt Phoebe placing a hand on his shoulder and did not resist.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." Julian replied. "I think so."

"It's okay to feel conflicted. She was a huge part of your life." Phoebe said.

"No, I am just glad she is gone." Julian said. "Does that make me a horrible person?"

"No, it doesn't." Phoebe said. "It makes you human."

There was a groan from across the room and both Prue and Penny got up slowly, the spell had apparently been lifted once Elizabeth had been vanquished.

"What did we miss?" Prue asked.

"Oh, nothing much." Phoebe replied.

"We still got the Wraith to deal with." Julian said determined.

Julian walked over to the Grimoire lying on the table and tried to open it. For a brief second, it zapped him and he withdrew his hand. Phoebe noticed and smiled, though he convinced himself it meant nothing. When he tried a second time, the book allowed him to open it. Julian held his hand over the book and telekinetically searched for the right spell. Luckily, Elizabeth had forced him to learn several demonic dialects as a child.

Julian started chanting the spell and a strong wind appeared. The Wraith flew in and circled around them. It tried to attack, but the spell cast a protective shield around them. As Julian continued the spell, the Wraith screeched in pain and started to glow in a bright white light. When the spell was finished, Julian closed the book and the Wraith exploded in white light.

"Now it's over." Julian replied.

"And what about that?" Penny asked.

Julian looked at where she was pointing and noticed the Urn of Asar on the table, still holding the essence of the Source. They would need a way to keep it safe, so the essence could never be freed again. Suddenly, an unknown figure appeared in the room in a puff of black smoke. It was dressed in black like some kind of demonic ninja. Before anyone could move, it shot across the room in high speed and stormed out. When it was gone, Julian looked down and saw the urn had disappeared.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Legacy 107: Soul Searching

Part 5

Xxx

Waiting for his family to return, Coop sat in his hotel room impatiently tapping his feet on the floor. He would sense it if they were hurt or worse, but that did not stop him from worrying. What if they were in a location where he could not sense them, like the Underworld? What if Julian was not to be trusted after all? No, he should not think like that. Despite his personal feelings about the matter, he knew that Julian was important to Phoebe. He was her son, and he needed to find a way to accept that, even though he was reminded of Cole Turner every time he saw the son they shared.

When someone teleported in, Coop looked up hoping it was his wife and daughters, though he saw it were orbs instead. The Whitelighter Noah appeared.

"Hello." Noah said. "We haven't met yet, I'm Noah. Your daughters' whitelighter."

"I know who you are." Coop replied.

"I wanted to check on them, but I could not sense them." Noah said.

"They're not here." Coop explained. "They went after Elizabeth Turner to stop the Wraith."

"I see." Noah replied. "Have you heard anything?"

"Not yet." Coop replied. "So why the concern?"

"I am their whitelighter. I'm supposed to care." Noah replied uneasily.

"We both know it's more than just concern." Coop stated. "And we both know you're not just an ordinary Whitelighter."

"I see, what do you know exactly?" Noah asked.

"Nothing specific, but I can easily find out." Coop replied. "I have connections up there, so should I be worried that you're going to hurt my daughter?"

"No, of course not." Noah said. "I care about her. A lot."

"Good." Coop replied. "You seem like a good man, Noah. Whatever mistakes you made in the past, I hope they will not come back to haunt her."

"I would never let that happen." Noah said. "And with all due respect, Prue is a grown woman. She can make her own decisions."

"Oh, I know." Coop replied with a proud smile. "I am not trying to be the overprotective father here, I know my girls can take care of themselves. They are Halliwells after all. If you hurt her, I'm the last person you need to worry about."

"Good to know." Noah replied somewhat nervously. "Let her know I stopped by."

Coop nodded and Noah dissolved into a column of orbs, disappearing from the room. Coop sighed as he got up and went to grab some more coffee, though he was startled when Julian suddenly appeared in flames, followed by Phoebe and their daughters. Coop hugged his wife in relief.

"I'm glad you're okay." Coop said. "What happened?"

"The Wraith is gone, so is Elizabeth." Penny replied. "That two less problems to worry about."

"And one more to add to the list." Prue added with a frown.

"What do you mean?" Coop asked.

"Some freaky ninja demon showed up and took the urn holding the essence of the Source." Penny said annoyed.

"It was a Raptor Demon." Phoebe explained. "Hired guns, often work as assassins. I've dealt with one before."

"And a hired gun means someone more powerful is behind it." Julian added angrily. "But we have no way of finding out who or why. Looks like it's not over."

"At least we stashed the Grimoire somewhere safe." Prue noted. "That's something."

"We will find out eventually." Phoebe said in a comforting manner. "Right now, I think we've all been through enough. We can worry about it another day. We're all tired."

"Yeah, I should get going." Julian said. "Thanks for the help."

"Wait, you're going to leave just like that?" Phoebe asked.

"What else do you expect me to do?" Julian replied. "The threat is over, I have not properly slept in weeks and I'm exhausted."

"But what about… you know, everything?" Penny asked. "I mean, we're finally getting to know each other."

"There is still so much I want to talk about." Phoebe added.

"I can't talk, at least not now." Julian replied. "You can't expect everything to be different over the course of one night. I need to think."

"So that is it? Thank you and goodbye?" Prue asked with a frown.

"For now." Julian said as he turned to her. "Look, I appreciate everything you've done, but I can't pretend to be one happy family all of the sudden. I need time."

Penny was about to argue, but Phoebe placed a hand on her arm and stopped her. "I understand." She said. "Take all the time you need. Just know that we're here."

"Are you serious?" Penny asked.

"Yes." Phoebe replied. "We can't force it. We're not like Elizabeth, we're a real family, and as much as I want Julian to be a part of it, he has to make that choice on his own."

"Thank you." Julian replied.

As he looked around the room, Julian was engulfed in flames and disappeared. Coop was not sure if he was coming back, but he knew his wife hoped it desperately. It had been difficult for her to remain as calm and collected as she was. With Julian gone, Prue and Penny also realized how tired they were after their ordeal and decided to go to bed. When they left the room, Coop walked over to Phoebe, who was sitting on the bed, and held her.

"Do you think I made the right choice?" Phoebe asked.

"I think so." Coop replied. "Like you said, you can't force the issue. Julian will come back if and when he is ready."

"And what about you?" Phoebe asked. "Will you be okay if he does?"

"If it makes you and our daughters happy, I will be fine." Coop said. "You and the girls are the most important thing in the world to me, so when the time comes, I think I can accept your son as well."

"I love you." Phoebe said smiling.

"I love you too." Coop replied.

Xxx

As flames rose from the floor, Julian reappeared in his childhood mansion. He looked around. The space felt different now, as if the darkness left by Elizabeth had finally been lifted now that she was finally gone from his life. He was free, he could go anywhere, do anything he wanted. So then why did he not want to leave? Had he actually started caring about his family in the short time had he spent with them? Part of him wanted to get to know them and be a part of their lives, while another part felt suffocated by the mere thought. Once he got sucked in, he would probably never be able to get out. He enjoyed his solitude, but seeing the alternative made it feel a little hollow. He wasn't sure what he wanted. All he wanted now was to eat and sleep, especially sleep.

Julian flamed upstairs and got undressed. He slipped into bed and stared up at the ceiling. How different his life had been just a day earlier. Whether he accepted or denied it, the Halliwells were a part of his life now, and with that strange but comforting thought, he fell asleep.

Xxx

The End


End file.
